Ice-making system.



PATHNTED JAN. 29, IIU/A G. L. VAN..

ICE MAKING SYSTEM.

APPLwMmN Mmm HEFT, 7, um.

-SHL'ET 2.

ii SHEETS- No. 842,360 PATENTBD JAN. 29, 1907.

G. L. VAIL.

ICB MAKING SYSTEM.

APPIAUATION FILED SBPT.7.1904

E SHEETS-SHEET 3.

SHOM c Q14 @mili-1412,93@ C,

PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907 G. L. VAIL- ICE MAKING SYSTEM.

PATINTED JAN. 2U, 190'?A .LANL 23 G. L. VAIL.

ICE MAKING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION NLM SEPT.

kan.. Num.

.mh am WM @1MM/neg PATBNTBD JAN. 251,1;907;

No. 842,360A

G L. VAIL.

ICE MAKING SYSTEM. 'APPLXUATION FILED snm-.7.19m

UNITED STATES PATENT oF rroE;

lC()l{(`lC L. VAIL, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

ICE-MAKING SYSTEM.

Be it known that I, (nouoic l1. citizen ol' the [nited States, residingl in the eity and r-ouuty ot Denver und Slate ol`(olo redo, have invented eertain new and useful linprorelnenm in [ee-Making' Systems; und l do le-hire the following: to be e 'ull, elear, and exaz't desrription ol the invention, sueh as will enable others skilled in the art to whieh it appertnins to uu-ikeand use the imme, iel'erenre heingT had to theurronlpanyinzg7 drawings, and to the letters and figures olt relerenee marked thereon, which form a part ot' this speritieation. i

My invention relates to auovel System ol iee-nu1kinr whereby a Series of outer cans are located in a dry chamber, whereby the cans ure eeeessible individually for purposee of removal and repair. The. eooling` liquid, as brine,l is introduced separately to each outer van und caused to eireulate upwardly around the inner ran und overflow nt the top, whereby a perl'eet eirruh'ition is obtained for ice-freezing purlmsee.A The heat-absorbing liquid is pumped through a Cooler located outSide ol' the ennvehamber, and it is Carried by a ronduit to the chamber in which the runs are loeated and thence conducted by braneh pipes to the bottom of the various outer vans, where it is introdueed as afore- Suid,

Under the old Lwystein, is well known, the runs rontaining the water to be frozen are loi-ated in a large tnnk ol'- lient-absorhingy liquid, as brine and anunonia pipes are. plared'in this tank, through which ammonia 1o eireulnted for the purport(l ol' keeping the brine rool. There are maj-ly dillieult-ies in eouneetion with the old s 'steui whieh my improved system entirely orerrouies. fliirst, it" in the old system I hen` is a leak in any part ol' (he ammonia-pim system' within the brne-tanl it is neressar t to draw oil all the brine from the' tank in order to find this leak und repair it, the brine being thus wasted. With my improwd system a workman can go into the Chamber and 'move around rtimone the outer cans and by loosening a Few bolts or Screws any outer een may be removed for purposes of repair without interteringr in any Way with the other runs ol the system-- Moreover, with my improved system it becomes praotieable to freezcmuch larger cakes of ieesinee the empty inn'er cans Specification of Letters Patent. Amlcatinn Eled September '7. 1

i l i l i are allowed to settle nearly VMI., a i

Patented Jan. 29, 1907. 904. Serial No. 223.619.

to the bottom of the outer runs, being onlysliqhtly buoyed up, sinre there need he only a small quantity ol' 'brine in eaeh individuel outer eau. Hence it heeolnes prurtieable for a man of ordinary height to p `ee the` tiller within these em ty inner eans when the raus are much big er than can be done in the old system, Sinee in the latter the empty raus in whieh the Witter is to he frozen are l,rreatly buoyed up by the brine in the tank in which the said causare placed, whereby the cans are caused to project upwardly into the room a considerable distance, making it impossible to place the lillern within the eans by ordinary means. It is evident that when the empty can is placed in the brine-tank that the een is buoyed u by a volume of brine equal to the size of the can, whereas in my improved system a, quantity of brine within the outer can which acts to'buoy up the inner ean or that in which. the water is to be Frozen may be regulated at will, and henee'the degree to which the inner can isrhuoyed up is under perfect control.

ln praetiee l am able to use cans ninetytive inehesin height, since when these are placed within the small quantity of brine they only project a short distance upwardly into the room when they are empty,` thus makirw it practicable for the man handlingthe filler to placeit easily within the said earns when empty." i

My improved system is much more ellicient sind economical than the old system for a number of reasons. First, a. cake of ice weighing eight. hundred pounds can be frozen in my n iproved system in thirty-six, hours, while'a cake weighing six hundred p'ounds requires sixty-six old system. Furthermore, a better quality of ice is frozen by my im roved system than by the old. Un ier the o d system there is a coneierable quantity of what is called white ice, whieh extends upwardly from the bottom ot' the cake through the center thereof. This is undesirable from a. merehantable standpoint. Ice frozen b Y my improveilsytem is much superior in t is re.` speot anfl is practically eorelessU or devoid of this white-ice characteristic, since ther",4 are only slight streaks of White in the center of the coke. These advantages are attributble to the practically perfect circulation obtained lmder my improved system.

outer cans containing a.

hours in freezing under the ln addition to the foregoing advantages it may lic stated that my improved system is exceedingly economical from the standpoint ol' thc quantity of brine required, since it is only necessary to use a comparatively small uantity, as it is in continuous circulation rom the tank through the pump, thence through the cooler, thence to the outer cans, and thence back to the brine-tank.

Having outlined my improvemcnt,-as well asthe function it performs and the advantages which it has been found to possess in actual practice, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, from au inspection of which the invention will be fully understood. f

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2, taken together, constitute a top plan view illustrating my complete system, two views being rex quired to illustrate the same for want of room on a single sheet of Patent Oilice drawing. Fig. 3 is a section taken through the system on the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a seotion taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 2, viewed in the direction of the arrow. Figs. 5 and G are sections taken on the lines 5 5 and 6 6, respectively, of Fig.. 1, the parts being shown on a larger scale. Fig. 7 is a plan view illustrating the manner of connecting the individual outer cans with the removable platform.

The same reference characters indicate the g same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate tl e brine tank, from which the brine passes 4to the pump by way 0f a conduit 7. From the pump the brine passes by way of a conduit Sto the cooler 9, which consists of a'series'of.

brine-pipes ,10, through which ammoniapipes 12 pass, whereby the-brine is coole-l `while passing through the pipes 10. Y From the cooler the brine passes to a main conduit 13, which leads to the insulated chamber 14, in which the irldividual cans 15 of the system are located. 4 ach can 15, as shown 1n the drawings, is sup orted on two separated tixnbers 16, to whic 1 the can is secured by bolts 17, which pass through the horizontal flange of an angle-clip 18, secured to the bottom of the can by suitable fastening devices, as shown at 19, These cans 15 are provided with bow-shaped projections 20, attached to their interior walls and which form guit'es for the inner can 21, whereb the outer surface of the latter is kept equal y distant from the inner surface'of the outer can at allV oints, whereby a practically uniform space or the cooling liquid is maintained entirely tround the inner can. To thc to of each outer can is attached a part or Wal 2, which is suitably connected therewith at'a short distance below its upper extr mity, as shown at 23, whereby a trap 24 is formedaround the top of the can 15. This pal t 22 projects upwardly above the top of the can 15 proper and its upper extremity is provided intcriorly with a :tiil'ening-baiwl 25, which is secured thereto by fastening devices 2o, which also passes through an angle-clip 27, secured to a stringer part 28 by a bolt 29, which holt may be reinoveu when it is eesired to remove the outer can 1.3 for any purpose.

The top of the inner can 21 when the latter is at its lowest position within the can 25 is in the same plane with the top of the part 22 of the outer can. The top 21 is provided exteriorli with a still'eningband 3l), which is secure( thereto by suitable fastening devices. The two hands 25 and 30, attached to the outer and inner cans, re spectively, fill up the space between the part 22 of the outer can and the'top of the inner can. The function of the trap 24 is to trap the heat-absorbing liquid which slops over th e top of the body of the outer can and prevents it from reaching the interior of the inner can when the latter is inserted. Usually there is about-enough cooling liquid in the outer van to fill the intervening space between the two cans, and if it were not for the trap 24 some ol` this liquid might pass over the top of the in ner can into the water to be frozen, which of course would be undesirable. The Stringer parts 2S are removable, as heretofore explained, whenever it is desired to remove the outer can. Each inner can is closed by a removable cover 31, composed of two main. parts having a recess 32 between them, Passing through `this recess is a pin 33, which is inserted in recesses formed in the two parts before they are connected. After the pin is of the inner eau IOC put in position, the bottom member 34 is secured to the, two `upper members, whereby they are-securely connected. Th'e object of the pin is to facilitate the removal of the cover by the usel of a hand-hook 35. (Sec Fig. 5.)

The inner cans are lift'ed 'from the outer cans in the ordinary manner.I Two cans are usually lifted at a time, as shown in Fig. 3, through the instrumentality of a liftin apparatus 36, which is mounted on a trac 37, whose wheelsiSS engage yrails 39, suitably supported above the chamber in which the freezing process is carried on. After these inner cans are lifted out they are laced for a short time in a warm-water tan 40 until the cakes of ice are loosened sufficiently to slide readily out of the cans.

Leading from* lthe inlet-conduit 13 is a number of branch conduits 41, which extend transversely across the chamber 14 and are provided with fittings 42, each of which connects the conduit with two vertical pi es 43 when the branch conduit 41 is located etwcen two rowsof cans. It will be understood that the conduits 41 at each end of the chamber will only be provided with ittinfgs, each of which connects the branchconduit with. a single pipe 43. The piges 43 lead I'IO - ed. with the can :Magma 3 downwardly and each is eonneeted with a readily removed by a person who is allowed pipe 44, which leads` upwardly and is eonvto enter the chamber I4, whereby he |s given l'ree art-:ess to these bolts. There is room between the vans I5 lor an opemlor o work. llie pipe l l is also de taehed from the bottom ol the ran. lo bolts 57 are then removed from the angled* ips 27 at the top ofthe outer can, allier wlleh the parts .28 on opposite, sides of the can are ren'iovegl an.' also the eover directly above the can. rlhe latter may then be lil'leil out for repairs or for :my -other purpose. "rom the foregoing description it:` will be understood that'the entire platform emeriug the top ol the chamber in wheh the (fans are loi-ated is sectional and ea-pable ol' being removed as eircomstanees may require. i

From the foregoing description the use and operation ol' my improved system will be readily um'lerstoofl. The outer cans l5 are plaeeit iu the Chamber 14 and suitably seemci, since their removal only becomes neeessary -for purposes olE repair. 'lhe small quantity of brine necessary in the cans l5 in order to perform the freezingr funetion makes this system espeeially advantageous, as here'- tofore eriplained. The spare between the inner an. outer rims is compara tively narrow. As soon as an inner can is placed in position and filled the brine is turned on by opening a valve 45, there being a separate valve for controlling the flow of brine to each can l5, as heretofore explained. Agiiin, when it is desired to removeany inner can the flow of brine to the corresponding outer can is eut orf by closing the corresponding valve 45. This is readily accomplished from the top of the. platform covering the eham ber in which thecans are located.

Below each inlet-pire 44 is loeated a drainpipe 60prtivided twith a valve 6l, whereby the brine may be drained from eaeh eau indepennently'of the other cans.

In order to drain the brine from the trap 24 after the inner can removed, the wall of ,the can at the bottom of the trap is provided neeted with the renter ol the bottom of [im outer (1an l5. 'lhe upper extremity ol' the pipe 44 registers with an opening in the bot tom of the een 15 and is detarhably conm-rtA to facilitate its removal .i J shown in the drawings, the ul'iper egtremity of the pipe 4.4 is provided Vwith a flange, which is bolted to the bottom of the can.

Atlthe` upper extremity of each pipe 1.3 is located a valve 45, whose stem 4o is eonneeted with a wroneh 47, whose upper extremity en ers` a recess 48, formed i'n a removable cover 49. The upper extremity of they stem of the wrench 47 is fashioned to receive a socket-keyt), inserted from above, n hereby the valves 45 may be opened and elosed at will. By reason of this arrangement the flow of brine to any can I5 may be shut oil' as soon as the water in the inner can is frozen, thus eoonomizirngr in the use of brine and refrigeration. This is another point of advantage over the old system, since in the latter the same amount of brine and the same amount of ammonia is employed, regardless of the number .of cans in the hrine-tanlr- Moreover, in the old system when a considerable number of eans is rmoved from the tank the brine is appreeiabl lowered in the tank, thus interfering with t xe freezing process.' 0n the other hand,- in my improved system each can 15- is controlled indepeiidl ently of every other can, and the removal of the inner can from any outer can interferes in no way with the depth of the heat-absorbin liquid of the other cans.`

ach inner can is provided with a bottom A, havingr notches B 4to allow the brine as it enters from the pipe 44Ato`pass outwardly freely into the space vbetween the two cans.

When the system is in use for freezing purioses, each outer can containing an inner can aving water to be frozen is constantly supplied with brine from the pipe 44, whereby the .brine is caused to circulate upwardlyv around the inner can; The to part 22 of with an orifice G2, through which the brine in each outer can is connected witi a littinglv the trap may run back into the can 15, by abushing 52, whereby the overflow from whereby the brine. in the trap is ehanged the outer can passes to a branch conduit 53, every time a cake of ice is frozen. from which the 'brine returnslto the outlet As a further advantage of my improved or return conduit 54, which leads to the brine system over the old system in Wheh the cans .ank or reservoir Each outlet-conduit 53, eontainiingr the water to be frozen are all as shown in the drawings, is located between placed inW a large brinedank, attention is two rows of cans 15 whereby called to the faet'that in case of a leak in any the cans on opposlte. sides of the `said conduit overflow into part ofthe ammonia-pipe system itis notonly necessary to draw oil and lose all the brine of the latter. The titting1 lialsohas a top f the tank, but it is also necessary to draw the .l ening 55, through u ich the overflow of tie-branch conduit 53 may be observed by ice from the cans, whereby the proeessof ieemakmg 1s interrupted for a considerable removing a cover 56, located directly above period of time. In a tank of ordinary size the said fitting. It will thus be seen that alll of the branch return-conduits 53 lead to the this would probably take a weeks time, thus entailing `a great loss, whereas where my main return-conduit 54. I

improved system is installed if any art of In case it is desired to .remove an outer can 15 rom the chamber 14 the bolts 17 may be the system gets out of repair the individual ibo or separate parts may be separately repaired without interrupting any other part of the system.

Vhilc in my improved system the brine or dheat-abaorbing liquid usci is formed from chlorid of calcium, it is evident that the in vent'ion is of sulliccnt scope to incluilc the use of brine or heat-absorlrng liqu'd of any kin l that is found practicable l'or use.

The terni. dry chamber used in the specification an'l claimsl must be interpreted to mean a chamber devoid of a body oi' brine or heababeorbing liqui'i as dlstingu'shcd from thc brlne chamber or tank in wh'ch thc cans containing the water `to be 'Frozen are locatel under the old ,systcnr lt is merely a suitably closel or insulated chamber' or room .in which the inflivid'uul cans are located and supported, making it practicable for the operator togo into the chamber nt anytime for Lhopnrrose of inspecting, rcpairrng, or removing the cans or any part oi' the apparatus therein.

Pivotally connected with the still'enin,-;- band L25 of each outer can is a button H3, adapted to be turned to engage the stitl`cning-band L3u of the inner can. Two of these buttons 63 are preferably employed, being; located on opposite `sides of the can. After the inner can is titled the weight of the liquid therein causes it to settle mtirthe enter can to such an extent that its top is nearly level with the top of the inner can. The operator then presses the inner can down to bring its top or stilfening-bund level with the top of the stifl'ening-band of the outer can. The

buttons 63 are then thrown to the positionshown ut the right in Fig. 6, whereby they hold the inner can tightly in place during the freezing operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isA 1. The combination with a. chamber, of a series of outer cans suitably mounted in said chamber, the said cans being suitably separated within the chamber ilo permit free access to the cans, a pipe connection with each individual can to supply heatabsorbing li liquid'is introduced at the bottoni of each outer can il is drawn oil at the top of thc saune can, i

2. The combination with a dry chamber `suit ably insulated and closed at the tup by a sectional platform, individual cans located in said chamber and :suitably supported, e pipe system l'ur eondiwting brine or other hentidwrliiug liquid to the bottoni ol'caf'h individual can, a valve located tu contiol tli-l lion' of brille to cach individual can iride pendenti): ol' thi` ut her cans, said valve hi nu: accessible lroni the top ol' the platform, cach individual can being provided uilli :1n :wr-r liorrmutlei. and inner raus located in tlnI outer runs and :irrrmgeri tu lem'c a "limit for the circulation of brine tlierwuwund ter the purpose sci lut'b' ii, A can provided with u amiable nih-ll, .i wall connected with the upper pri/ft F` il` can below the top thereof :oni neuwied therefrom to forni a trap, thc muri well er tending ebow the top proper ui the von, the top of the seid wail bring prm'idcd interiori;r with a still'clling-limnl, nu inner can loffoicd in the first-named can und projecting; ait/svc the top of the .ui proper, the innfr can buv ing an eritcriurljwluf ined sliilcningbanrl which engages the stiilcninghand of the outer can, thel two banda together being` oi :i thickness equal to the r-:iillli of the trap 1, The combination with n chanii-. cans located in the clinici-cr and suitably separated, an inlet-pipe system located in the chamber and having pipes connected with the individual cans, a valve for control Ling the flow to each pipe, a platform covering the chamber at; the top, and means for controlling each valve from a point above the platform whereby the fiow of heat-absorlling liquid to each individual can is separately controlled. i

5. AThe combination with a chamber of an outer can mounted in Said chamber, a platn form covering said can, a pipe connection with the can to supply heat-absorbing liquid` thereto, a Valve for regulating the liquidsupply from the' pipe to the can,.said valve being controlled from above the platform and an inner can located in the outer can and separate therefrom to allowthe liquid to cir-` culate freely for ice-freezing purposes..

In testimony whereof "I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. GEORGE L. VAIL Witnesses:

DENA NiliLsoN, A. J. QBRIEN. 

